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Two hurt in three-vehicle wreck on Hwy. 53

Collision involved mud spilled from dump truck

Authorities say mud that spilled from a dump truck contributed to a three-vehicle wreck Tuesday morning that sent two people to the hospital and closed a well-traveled corridor in northeast Forsyth for a couple hours.

Karleen Chalker, a spokeswoman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, said the collision, which involved a heavy duty work van and FedEx truck, happened about 9 a.m. on Dawsonville Highway (Hwy. 53) near Lake Lanier and the Hall County line.

Two drivers were taken to Northside Hospital-Forsyth with what authorities described as non-life threatening injuries. One has since been released, Chalker said.

The highway was closed until about 11 a.m. after the wreck. Traffic was rerouted on the Forsyth side of the bridge at Hwy. 306.

The collision was the second of the morning to disrupt traffic in north Forsyth.

About four hours earlier, a stretch of Ga. 400 north was shut down after a tractor trailer caught fire near Exit 15. No one was hurt in that incident and the corridor reopened by about 6:15 a.m.

According to sheriff’s reports, the Hwy. 53 accident occurred when a westbound 2007 Chevrolet Cutaway van encountered a large amount of mud that had spilled onto the road.

As the van began to slow to avoid the mud, it was rear-ended by a FedEx truck, which carried both vehicles into the mud. The truck then slid into the eastbound lane of Hwy. 53, where it struck a 1998 Honda Accord, reports said.

The van driver, a 69-year-old man from Toccoa, was taken to Northside Hospital-Forsyth, where he was treated and released, according to reports.

Also taken to the hospital was the driver of the Honda, a 48-year-old Marietta resident. He was being treated for what authorities said were non-life threatening injuries.

The 58-year-old Danielsville man who was driving the truck had minor injuries that reportedly didn’t require a hospital visit.

According to Chalker, state Department of Transportation crews were able to find the dump truck responsible for the spill by following a trail of mud along Hwy. 53 into Dawson County.

No charges have been filed and the incident remains under investigation.